GIG REVIEW: Heed Case + All Out Attack + Claudia @ Trillians, Newcastle, Sunday 11 January 2026
North East Cosmonaut Circus (NECC) is a group of music lovers who have been promoting gigs for six years now. Trillians is home to many of them, though they also put on gigs in Sunderland and Stockton.
Their three-band Sunday evening bills are great value at only £5 entry, and the prompt start and early finish means there’s less chance of a sore head to worry about as punters head back to work on Monday.
Their bills tend to be eclectic affairs, featuring different shades of punk and alternative music, and that was the case here. First up were Claudia, a punk/riot-grrrl trio from Sunderland who are new to me.
Named after broadcaster Claudia Winkleman, they were formed in November 2023 and only played their first gig just over a year ago. Theirs is an infectious brand of grungy punk, influenced by the likes of Bikini Kill, L7 and Babes In Toyland.
Their debut EP Chew Toy was released by Serial Bowl Records in November, and regular gigging with bands like Slalom D, Onlooker, House Proud and Loudmouth has obviously rubbed off (one of the things I love about the burgeoning Sunderland scene is how more experienced bands give young ‘uns a leg up).
Slightly reserved in demeanour they might be, but Claudia’s music has bucketfuls of energy and attitude, and I like them very much, particularly when they really open up and let rip.
Their eight-sing set consists of the EP, an unreleased song called Vixen, and a cover of Hole’s Celebrity Skin, which they pull off with aplomb. They’re a band who seem destined for greater things, and I look forward to seeing what they do next.
Second on the bill are All Out Attack, a four-piece DIY punk band from Newcastle, who I’m much more familiar with. Vocalist Adz is one of the folk behind NECC, and an afficionado on punk music in all its forms.
They have two albums to their name, most recently late 2024’s excellent Gaslight Nation (reviewed here). They have a new face in their ranks tonight, with well-known North East punk rock ‘n’ roller Denni replacing James on bass.
I really don’t know how he has time to join All Out Attack; he’s in three other bands already – The Undaclass, The Unnamed and Monkeys Blood. This is his first gig with All Out Attack and he fits in seamlessly, putting his own mark on the songs.
They’ve revamped their set in recent years, with songs from their first album, 2014’s Dystopia, shelved in favour of newer material. Two of their best numbers, A Holiday In Beijing and Three Rivers, are wheeled out back to back early in the set.
They play a couple of unreleased singles, Institutional Lies and the reggae-tinged Moorland Martyr, which I don’t think I’ve heard live before, before ending an entertaining half-hour with 2022 single Class War.
Tonight’s headliners Heed Case are a newish band, only formed in 2024, but they’ve already got two albums to their name and are busy writing a third.
They’re the latest creative outlet for Neil ‘Newts’ Newton, long-time guitarist for the North East punk legends Angelic Upstarts. Originally a duo, then briefly a trio, Heed Case are now a two-piece again, with Newts joined by drummer Mr Dusty, and together they make a wonderful racket.
Their set is fairly evenly split between their two albums, 2024’s All The Rage (reviewed here) and last year’s Mongo (reviewed here).
Kicking off with the first album’s title track All The Rage, they steam through a dozen or so songs in their allotted time, with Spiteful Age still my favourite of the ‘older’ tracks.
Meanwhile, OCD and Cuckoo Whackadoo standing out from Mongo, which, as Newts explains, is about being neurodivergent. Both of Heed Case freely admit they’re on the spectrum and making music is one of their coping mechanisms.
It’s great to see Newts step up to the mic after so many years as Mensi’s right-hand man in the Upstarts. He’s a natural at it, explaining what his songs are about and enjoying between-song banter with the crowd, but remaining ever-humble that people have come out to see them.
If you haven’t had a taste of Heed Case, and indeed All Out Attack or Claudia, I’d thoroughly recommend checking out all three bands, or even better, go to see them. That’s what keeps this sorts of DIY music alive. Long may it thrive.
